28 feb 2015
The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters ruled on Saturday to designate the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, a terrorist organization. Hamas described the Egyptian ruling as a shocking decision, saying it targets the Palestinian people and Palestinian resistance factions as well.
The Egyptian court verdict came after a lawsuit filed by lawyer Samir Sabri asked to label Hamas a "terrorist" movement. The court ruling followed a previous similar one that designated Ezziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, as a terrorist group just two months ago.
Hamas said the Egyptian court ruling is shocking and dangerous as it targets the Palestinian people and resistance.
Hamas said, “The ruling is shameful to Egypt and constitutes an unsuccessful attempt to export the Egyptian internal crises”.
Hamas added, “This ruling will not affect the status of Hamas which enjoys the respect of the masses and leaders of the (Arab and Islamic) Nation”.
Khreisha: Egypt’s blacklisting of Hamas as terrorist “serious lapse”
Second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Hasan Khreisha, slammed the Egyptian judiciary for blacklisting Hamas as a terrorist group, dubbing the move a “a serious lapse.”
The Egyptian court ruling branding Hamas as a terrorist movement “harms Egypt’s reputation and its historical positions regarding anti-colonization struggles,” Hasan Khreisha said.
He called on the Egyptian political leadership to rescind the recent court verdict and “stop the fierce ad hominem campaign against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance.”
“Egypt has to resume its role as a broker party in current endeavors to heal the national rift, halt aggression on Gaza, and negotiate prisoner swap deals,” he added.
“Any potential attack to be launched on Gaza by an Arab or Egyptian party is just the most nightmarish of all scenarios,” he further stated.
Khreisha called on the Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestine Liberation Organization to voice a straightforward and unambiguous position vis-à-vis such a decision against Hamas and the Palestinian people as a whole.
Member of the Central Committee of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine Zulfiqar Sweirjo, meanwhile, called on the Palestinian masses to rally round the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the West Bank.
Speaking in a TV Show aired by al-Aqsa TV Channel on Saturday evening, Sweirjo, said the Egyptian court decision is very likely to be used as a pretext to hit blockaded Gaza.
Hamas is a national liberation movement and there is no single proof that it has meddled in Egypt’s home affairs, he said, pointing to the politicized nature of the court issue.
Sweirjo urged Abbas to take up his responsibilities and back up the Palestinian resistance factions.
Egypt's Urgent Matters Court late Saturday morning declared Hamas a terrorist organization, weeks after the Palestinian movement's armed wing was given the same designation.
The Egyptian court verdict came after a lawsuit filed by lawyer Samir Sabri asked to label Hamas a "terrorist" movement. The court ruling followed a previous similar one that designated Ezziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, as a terrorist group just two months ago.
Hamas said the Egyptian court ruling is shocking and dangerous as it targets the Palestinian people and resistance.
Hamas said, “The ruling is shameful to Egypt and constitutes an unsuccessful attempt to export the Egyptian internal crises”.
Hamas added, “This ruling will not affect the status of Hamas which enjoys the respect of the masses and leaders of the (Arab and Islamic) Nation”.
Khreisha: Egypt’s blacklisting of Hamas as terrorist “serious lapse”
Second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Hasan Khreisha, slammed the Egyptian judiciary for blacklisting Hamas as a terrorist group, dubbing the move a “a serious lapse.”
The Egyptian court ruling branding Hamas as a terrorist movement “harms Egypt’s reputation and its historical positions regarding anti-colonization struggles,” Hasan Khreisha said.
He called on the Egyptian political leadership to rescind the recent court verdict and “stop the fierce ad hominem campaign against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance.”
“Egypt has to resume its role as a broker party in current endeavors to heal the national rift, halt aggression on Gaza, and negotiate prisoner swap deals,” he added.
“Any potential attack to be launched on Gaza by an Arab or Egyptian party is just the most nightmarish of all scenarios,” he further stated.
Khreisha called on the Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestine Liberation Organization to voice a straightforward and unambiguous position vis-à-vis such a decision against Hamas and the Palestinian people as a whole.
Member of the Central Committee of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine Zulfiqar Sweirjo, meanwhile, called on the Palestinian masses to rally round the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the West Bank.
Speaking in a TV Show aired by al-Aqsa TV Channel on Saturday evening, Sweirjo, said the Egyptian court decision is very likely to be used as a pretext to hit blockaded Gaza.
Hamas is a national liberation movement and there is no single proof that it has meddled in Egypt’s home affairs, he said, pointing to the politicized nature of the court issue.
Sweirjo urged Abbas to take up his responsibilities and back up the Palestinian resistance factions.
Egypt's Urgent Matters Court late Saturday morning declared Hamas a terrorist organization, weeks after the Palestinian movement's armed wing was given the same designation.
26 feb 2015
Lieberman during a diplomatic visit to Ethiopia in 2009
Another batch of leaks by al-Jazeera and the Guardian cites report that Israel tried to cause drought in Egypt, following previous claims about Mossad machinations.
A paper on Mossad reportedly drafted by the South African State Security Agency (SSA) claims that Israel for decades worked to artificially create a drought in Egypt, by draining the River Nile with a water-absorbing plant.
The report comes as Al-Jazeera and the Guardian continued Wednesday to release purported spy cables, which again raised startling claims about Israeli intelligence.
“Towards this end Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology conducted extensive experiments, and eventually created a type of plant that flourishes on the surface or the banks of the Nile and that absorbs such large quantities of water as to significantly reduce the volume of water that reaches Egypt,” the Guardian quoted. The newspaper noted that the allegation could be false and South Africa "guilty of naivety", but if true, "then Mossad is guilty of reprehensible tactics".
Wednesday's disclosures also included a Russian document alleging that al-Qaeda had set up a facility to produce biological weapons in Algeria, but later abandoned it.
The Guardian's report is the latest in a series of leaks that have been published this week, many of which involved Mossad. It was revealed that the SSA had extensively monitored an Israeli spy, that it had received a Mossad assessment in Iran that contradicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public statements, and that it believed Israel's flagship El Al airline was used as a front for clandestine activities.
The SSA also circulated a report in 2009 accusing Israel of using espionage to pursue its interests in Africa, said the Guardian, such as “working assiduously to encircle and isolate Sudan from the outside, and to fuel insurrection inside Sudan”.
The SSA further asserted that Israel had a longstanding desire to exploit Africa's resources and “plans to appropriate African diamonds and process them in Israel". An additional claim in the report was that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was “facilitating contracts for Israelis to train various militias” during a 2009 diplomatic visit to Africa.
The Guardian also cited a Mossad paper sent to the SSA that warned of an attempt to deliver yellowcake, needed to refine uranium, to Iran from South Africa.
Yet another report said American intelligence "seems to be desperate to make inroads into Hamas in Gaza" and may have hoped for South African assistance. The cables also stated that former Mossad chief Meir Dagan said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was concerned about international acceptance of a UN inquiry into alleged Israeli war crimes, which could “play into the hands of Hamas and weaken his position”.
Pretoria has become a major hub for global espionage, the Guardian declared, serving as a gateway into an Africa that is increasingly at the center of international power struggles.
Another batch of leaks by al-Jazeera and the Guardian cites report that Israel tried to cause drought in Egypt, following previous claims about Mossad machinations.
A paper on Mossad reportedly drafted by the South African State Security Agency (SSA) claims that Israel for decades worked to artificially create a drought in Egypt, by draining the River Nile with a water-absorbing plant.
The report comes as Al-Jazeera and the Guardian continued Wednesday to release purported spy cables, which again raised startling claims about Israeli intelligence.
“Towards this end Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology conducted extensive experiments, and eventually created a type of plant that flourishes on the surface or the banks of the Nile and that absorbs such large quantities of water as to significantly reduce the volume of water that reaches Egypt,” the Guardian quoted. The newspaper noted that the allegation could be false and South Africa "guilty of naivety", but if true, "then Mossad is guilty of reprehensible tactics".
Wednesday's disclosures also included a Russian document alleging that al-Qaeda had set up a facility to produce biological weapons in Algeria, but later abandoned it.
The Guardian's report is the latest in a series of leaks that have been published this week, many of which involved Mossad. It was revealed that the SSA had extensively monitored an Israeli spy, that it had received a Mossad assessment in Iran that contradicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public statements, and that it believed Israel's flagship El Al airline was used as a front for clandestine activities.
The SSA also circulated a report in 2009 accusing Israel of using espionage to pursue its interests in Africa, said the Guardian, such as “working assiduously to encircle and isolate Sudan from the outside, and to fuel insurrection inside Sudan”.
The SSA further asserted that Israel had a longstanding desire to exploit Africa's resources and “plans to appropriate African diamonds and process them in Israel". An additional claim in the report was that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was “facilitating contracts for Israelis to train various militias” during a 2009 diplomatic visit to Africa.
The Guardian also cited a Mossad paper sent to the SSA that warned of an attempt to deliver yellowcake, needed to refine uranium, to Iran from South Africa.
Yet another report said American intelligence "seems to be desperate to make inroads into Hamas in Gaza" and may have hoped for South African assistance. The cables also stated that former Mossad chief Meir Dagan said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was concerned about international acceptance of a UN inquiry into alleged Israeli war crimes, which could “play into the hands of Hamas and weaken his position”.
Pretoria has become a major hub for global espionage, the Guardian declared, serving as a gateway into an Africa that is increasingly at the center of international power struggles.
16 feb 2015
Egyptian border guards on Sunday discovered a smuggling tunnel from Gaza which ran at least 2.5 kilometers underground.
Egyptian military officials told Ma'an that it was the longest tunnel ever discovered by Egyptian security forces.
The opening of the tunnel was found in an unpopulated area near Rafah. Large communication networks connected to satellites were found inside the tunnel.
Egyptian forces closed off the area and made preparations to destroy the underground passage.
Until the July 2013 ouster of democratically-elected Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade, which has been in place since 2007.
Since the coup, however, Egypt has strictly enforced the blockade and targeted the tunnels, with military sources estimating that the vast majority were destroyed in the fall of 2013.
Egyptian military officials told Ma'an that it was the longest tunnel ever discovered by Egyptian security forces.
The opening of the tunnel was found in an unpopulated area near Rafah. Large communication networks connected to satellites were found inside the tunnel.
Egyptian forces closed off the area and made preparations to destroy the underground passage.
Until the July 2013 ouster of democratically-elected Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade, which has been in place since 2007.
Since the coup, however, Egypt has strictly enforced the blockade and targeted the tunnels, with military sources estimating that the vast majority were destroyed in the fall of 2013.
10 feb 2015
By Khalid Amayreh
He told them he was fighting a common enemy, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. He told them that Egypt wouldn’t hesitate even for a moment to hasten to help them should they come under a foreign attack. He told them he was for moderate Islam and against fanatical extremists.
The usually trusting leaders of the Gulf thought Sissi was telling the truth. They mistook his unctuous words and hyper sycophancy for honesty. They gave him the benefit of the doubt, thanks to the highly despotic style of the decision-making process in these monarchies and Sheikhdoms.
But Sissi was not telling the truth because all he was really seeking was their money.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were duped to think that by giving billions of dollars to this crook they were actually investing in the security and stability of their own regimes. Hence, they didn't ask the questions that should have been asked.
Instead, they thought the man was a paragon of honesty and piety, very much like Omar Ibn al-Khattab or Ali ibn Abi-Taleb.
In fact, the only Gulf country that exercised a modicum of caution in dealing with the thug is Qatar, which explains the unusually abusive language used by Sissi in reference to the Emir of Qatar.
But Sissi, who betrayed his own boss, democratically-elected President Muhammad Mursi, is not a man to be trusted.
He has proven himself to be more of a street thug than a respectable statesman. Even today, he continues to adopt a modus operandi based on sheer mendacity as he leads his country to the abyss.
The recently disclosed secret recording of a secret meeting of Sissi and some of his military aides portrayed a man so eager to blackmail Gulf States so that they would give him billions of dollars.
But one would probably seek some extenuating circumstances if the Gulf's billions were to be invested in alleviating rampant poverty in Egypt. But we all know that the bulk of the Gulf money would go to the coffers of the deep state, the notorious kleptocracy that has been ruling Egypt ever since the overthrowing of King Farouk in 1952.
Now, with a new king in Saudi Arabia, a sophisticated and reportedly pious head of state that can't be duped by swindlers like Sissi, Sissi is likely to lose whatever trust he may still have with the Saudis.
But this is good news for Egypt, Arabs and Muslims.
Sissi must be exposed for what he is, a mass murderer, par excellence, who came to power through lies, bloodshed and deception. On his hands he carries the blood of thousands of Egyptians whose only "crime" was protesting the murderous coup.
Sissi decapitated human rights and civil liberties in Egypt, he ordered his Baltagiyya (street thugs) to shoot and kill peaceful protesters. He put tens of thousands in prisons, without charge and trial. And he instructed a pornographically mendacious mercenary media to malign the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the greatest and noblest Islamic movements in modern times.
In fact, he went as far as demanding changing "religious texts," an allusion to the Quran. No other Arab or Muslim leader has ever reached this level of depravity and blasphemy in insulting Muslim sensibilities.
In Egypt, the thug has tormented Egyptians as never before. Under his tyrannical terrorist rule, the Egyptian economy is collapsing. The Egyptian currency, the Egyptian pound, has lost the bulk of its exchange value.
And thanks to Sissi, the Egyptian justice system has effectively become a rubber stamp in the hands of the thug and his criminal junta. Indeed, what can one say of a justice system that sentences thousands of people to death for peacefully objecting to the coup while exonerating the former tyrant of Egypt Husni Mubarak, who utterly ruined and impoverished the country for more than thirty years.
Sissi has also proven beyond doubt that his heart lies with Israel not Palestine. The fact that he is hermetically closing the Rafah border-crossing between Gaza and the outside world shows that he is carrying out Israeli instructions.
Sissi's Zionist credentials are further bolstered by the recent decision by one of the coup's courts which declared Hamas's military wing, the Izzidin al Qassam Brigades a terrorist group. Is resisting Israeli Nazism a form of terror? The fact that Sissi says "yes" underscores the fact that he is not an Egyptian, Arab or Muslim patriot but rather a Zionist agent, very much like Eli Cohen who reached the helm of power in Damascus, thanks to the treachery and perfidy of the anti-Islam Baath party, still reigning in the capital of the Ummayids.
What else can be said of a leader who is knowingly and deliberately causing so much misery, pain and distress to the thoroughly tormented Gazans who stand at the forefront of the enduring struggle against Israel's criminal designs and who have paid a huge price for not succumbing to Israeli whims.
I hope and pray that the leaders of the Gulf States will learn their lesson before it is too late and not repeat their huge blunder with the thug of Egypt. The late King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah (may Allah forgive him), made a huge mistake. This mistake must never be repeated.
He told them he was fighting a common enemy, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. He told them that Egypt wouldn’t hesitate even for a moment to hasten to help them should they come under a foreign attack. He told them he was for moderate Islam and against fanatical extremists.
The usually trusting leaders of the Gulf thought Sissi was telling the truth. They mistook his unctuous words and hyper sycophancy for honesty. They gave him the benefit of the doubt, thanks to the highly despotic style of the decision-making process in these monarchies and Sheikhdoms.
But Sissi was not telling the truth because all he was really seeking was their money.
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait were duped to think that by giving billions of dollars to this crook they were actually investing in the security and stability of their own regimes. Hence, they didn't ask the questions that should have been asked.
Instead, they thought the man was a paragon of honesty and piety, very much like Omar Ibn al-Khattab or Ali ibn Abi-Taleb.
In fact, the only Gulf country that exercised a modicum of caution in dealing with the thug is Qatar, which explains the unusually abusive language used by Sissi in reference to the Emir of Qatar.
But Sissi, who betrayed his own boss, democratically-elected President Muhammad Mursi, is not a man to be trusted.
He has proven himself to be more of a street thug than a respectable statesman. Even today, he continues to adopt a modus operandi based on sheer mendacity as he leads his country to the abyss.
The recently disclosed secret recording of a secret meeting of Sissi and some of his military aides portrayed a man so eager to blackmail Gulf States so that they would give him billions of dollars.
But one would probably seek some extenuating circumstances if the Gulf's billions were to be invested in alleviating rampant poverty in Egypt. But we all know that the bulk of the Gulf money would go to the coffers of the deep state, the notorious kleptocracy that has been ruling Egypt ever since the overthrowing of King Farouk in 1952.
Now, with a new king in Saudi Arabia, a sophisticated and reportedly pious head of state that can't be duped by swindlers like Sissi, Sissi is likely to lose whatever trust he may still have with the Saudis.
But this is good news for Egypt, Arabs and Muslims.
Sissi must be exposed for what he is, a mass murderer, par excellence, who came to power through lies, bloodshed and deception. On his hands he carries the blood of thousands of Egyptians whose only "crime" was protesting the murderous coup.
Sissi decapitated human rights and civil liberties in Egypt, he ordered his Baltagiyya (street thugs) to shoot and kill peaceful protesters. He put tens of thousands in prisons, without charge and trial. And he instructed a pornographically mendacious mercenary media to malign the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the greatest and noblest Islamic movements in modern times.
In fact, he went as far as demanding changing "religious texts," an allusion to the Quran. No other Arab or Muslim leader has ever reached this level of depravity and blasphemy in insulting Muslim sensibilities.
In Egypt, the thug has tormented Egyptians as never before. Under his tyrannical terrorist rule, the Egyptian economy is collapsing. The Egyptian currency, the Egyptian pound, has lost the bulk of its exchange value.
And thanks to Sissi, the Egyptian justice system has effectively become a rubber stamp in the hands of the thug and his criminal junta. Indeed, what can one say of a justice system that sentences thousands of people to death for peacefully objecting to the coup while exonerating the former tyrant of Egypt Husni Mubarak, who utterly ruined and impoverished the country for more than thirty years.
Sissi has also proven beyond doubt that his heart lies with Israel not Palestine. The fact that he is hermetically closing the Rafah border-crossing between Gaza and the outside world shows that he is carrying out Israeli instructions.
Sissi's Zionist credentials are further bolstered by the recent decision by one of the coup's courts which declared Hamas's military wing, the Izzidin al Qassam Brigades a terrorist group. Is resisting Israeli Nazism a form of terror? The fact that Sissi says "yes" underscores the fact that he is not an Egyptian, Arab or Muslim patriot but rather a Zionist agent, very much like Eli Cohen who reached the helm of power in Damascus, thanks to the treachery and perfidy of the anti-Islam Baath party, still reigning in the capital of the Ummayids.
What else can be said of a leader who is knowingly and deliberately causing so much misery, pain and distress to the thoroughly tormented Gazans who stand at the forefront of the enduring struggle against Israel's criminal designs and who have paid a huge price for not succumbing to Israeli whims.
I hope and pray that the leaders of the Gulf States will learn their lesson before it is too late and not repeat their huge blunder with the thug of Egypt. The late King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah (may Allah forgive him), made a huge mistake. This mistake must never be repeated.
Israeli and Egyptian forces open fire after identifying smuggling attempt.
Two people were killed on Tuesday morning in an exchange of fire during a smuggling attempt on the Israel's border with Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces said the two entered a closed military zone near the border, where civilians are not allowed. Meanwhile, it added, a group of suspected smugglers on the Egyptian side approached the border. One of them was armed.
The Egyptian troops were the first to open fire, the IDF said, and the group on the Egyptian side of the border shot back. After initially saying its soldiers only fired warning shots, the Israeli military admitted that the force patrolling the border was also involved in the incident.
The identity of those killed in the incident was unknown.
Following the incident, five packages containing an unspecified drug were found in sweeps conducted in the area.
In March, 2012, two smugglers, one Israeli and the other Egyptian, were killed near the southern border.
Two weeks earlier, one man was killed and three others were wounded in a similar incident. The military said a routine border patrol identified a group of people making their way across. The army said the soldiers began firing at the suspects after they failed to heed calls to stop.
Two people were killed on Tuesday morning in an exchange of fire during a smuggling attempt on the Israel's border with Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces said the two entered a closed military zone near the border, where civilians are not allowed. Meanwhile, it added, a group of suspected smugglers on the Egyptian side approached the border. One of them was armed.
The Egyptian troops were the first to open fire, the IDF said, and the group on the Egyptian side of the border shot back. After initially saying its soldiers only fired warning shots, the Israeli military admitted that the force patrolling the border was also involved in the incident.
The identity of those killed in the incident was unknown.
Following the incident, five packages containing an unspecified drug were found in sweeps conducted in the area.
In March, 2012, two smugglers, one Israeli and the other Egyptian, were killed near the southern border.
Two weeks earlier, one man was killed and three others were wounded in a similar incident. The military said a routine border patrol identified a group of people making their way across. The army said the soldiers began firing at the suspects after they failed to heed calls to stop.
6 feb 2015
Hundreds of Palestinians have staged a demonstration to protest the decision by an Egyptian court to designate Ezzedine Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas resistance movement, as a "terrorist organization."
The protesters gathered outside Egypt's diplomatic mission in Gaza City on Friday, waving Hamas green flags and chanting slogans in support of Gaza-based Qassam Brigades.
"Qassam are the pride of the nation, not terrorists!" they shouted.
"We call on the Egyptian authorities to overturn this oppressive ruling," senior Hamas figure Salah al-Bardawil said at the rally, adding, "Those who seek to undermine Egypt's security in Sinai are its enemies…. The weapons of the Palestinian resistance remain pointed towards the Zionist enemy (Israel).”
The rally comes a day after thousands of Palestinians staged a similar protest in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah to condemn the Egyptian court’s terror ruling.
The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters claimed in a lawsuit on December 31 that Hamas was involved in recent attacks against Egypt’s security forces, listing the resistance movement’s military wing as a “terrorist organization.”
The armed wings of Gaza-based Palestinian factions slammed the ruling, reiterating that their resistance merely focuses on efforts to end the Israeli occupation and never interferes in the internal affairs of any Arab country, particularly Egypt.
They also stressed that the international and Egyptian courts should be concerned about terrorism by the Israeli regime.
The armed Palestinian factions further described Egypt’s move as a “dagger in the back of resistance,” adding that they would “continue the journey of resistance to liberate Palestine.”
The protesters gathered outside Egypt's diplomatic mission in Gaza City on Friday, waving Hamas green flags and chanting slogans in support of Gaza-based Qassam Brigades.
"Qassam are the pride of the nation, not terrorists!" they shouted.
"We call on the Egyptian authorities to overturn this oppressive ruling," senior Hamas figure Salah al-Bardawil said at the rally, adding, "Those who seek to undermine Egypt's security in Sinai are its enemies…. The weapons of the Palestinian resistance remain pointed towards the Zionist enemy (Israel).”
The rally comes a day after thousands of Palestinians staged a similar protest in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah to condemn the Egyptian court’s terror ruling.
The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters claimed in a lawsuit on December 31 that Hamas was involved in recent attacks against Egypt’s security forces, listing the resistance movement’s military wing as a “terrorist organization.”
The armed wings of Gaza-based Palestinian factions slammed the ruling, reiterating that their resistance merely focuses on efforts to end the Israeli occupation and never interferes in the internal affairs of any Arab country, particularly Egypt.
They also stressed that the international and Egyptian courts should be concerned about terrorism by the Israeli regime.
The armed Palestinian factions further described Egypt’s move as a “dagger in the back of resistance,” adding that they would “continue the journey of resistance to liberate Palestine.”
The Hamas Movement on Thursday warned it would not remain passive any more if the blockade on the Gaza Strip continued.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called for swiftly moving to lift the siege on Gaza from all sides or else the Movement and its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades would have to escalate the situation and break the blockade.
Addressing protestors during a massive rally staged by Hamas at Salahuddin Gate, near the border with Egypt, Abu Zuhri said, "Our stance is clear and straightforward. We call upon Egypt and its leaders to reconsider their position. Our resistance only targets the occupation and you should end you injustice to us."
The spokesman said that the Egyptian court ruling on al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas as a terrorist organization was extremely shocking to the Palestinian people, and the Arab and Muslim nations.
He pointed out that Egyptian intelligence officials had admitted several times though its contacts with Hamas that they knew that the Movement did not interfere in the internal affairs of their country, but they still keep silent on their media incitement against the Palestinians in Gaza.
Abu Zuhri also condemned the Egyptian judiciary for classifying al-Qassam Brigades as a terror group.
"We are standing here today in Rafah on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders because of an incident that has caused a great shock to all Gaza and Palestine people as well as the Arab and Muslim nations, when the Egyptian judiciary put the most honorable Islamic and Arab Movement on the terror list," he underscored.
"We want to tell the judge that 'it was not a mistake what you did, it was a crime against us and against Egypt before Palestine' because the Palestinian question has always been the Muslims' cause, and such Egyptian court verdict is not a passing procedure, but it is a real catastrophe. It is a disaster to see the equations reversed, where the occupation becomes a friend and the Palestinian people an enemy," he added.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called for swiftly moving to lift the siege on Gaza from all sides or else the Movement and its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades would have to escalate the situation and break the blockade.
Addressing protestors during a massive rally staged by Hamas at Salahuddin Gate, near the border with Egypt, Abu Zuhri said, "Our stance is clear and straightforward. We call upon Egypt and its leaders to reconsider their position. Our resistance only targets the occupation and you should end you injustice to us."
The spokesman said that the Egyptian court ruling on al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas as a terrorist organization was extremely shocking to the Palestinian people, and the Arab and Muslim nations.
He pointed out that Egyptian intelligence officials had admitted several times though its contacts with Hamas that they knew that the Movement did not interfere in the internal affairs of their country, but they still keep silent on their media incitement against the Palestinians in Gaza.
Abu Zuhri also condemned the Egyptian judiciary for classifying al-Qassam Brigades as a terror group.
"We are standing here today in Rafah on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders because of an incident that has caused a great shock to all Gaza and Palestine people as well as the Arab and Muslim nations, when the Egyptian judiciary put the most honorable Islamic and Arab Movement on the terror list," he underscored.
"We want to tell the judge that 'it was not a mistake what you did, it was a crime against us and against Egypt before Palestine' because the Palestinian question has always been the Muslims' cause, and such Egyptian court verdict is not a passing procedure, but it is a real catastrophe. It is a disaster to see the equations reversed, where the occupation becomes a friend and the Palestinian people an enemy," he added.
5 feb 2015
Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath expressed his rejection of the Egyptian court ruling on al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas as a terrorist organization, stressing that al-Qassam Brigades is a "resistance team and not a terror group."
"The Hamas Movement is an integral part of the Palestinian political fabric that we seek to achieve unity with and we reject accusing its armed wing of charges amounting to terrorism; al-Qassam is a resistance team and not a terror group," Shaath, a member of the Fatah's central committee, said in remarks to Palestine newspaper.
He pointed out that the Egyptian court verdict was a preliminary ruling and could be appealed against by the Palestinian side, calling for necessarily sending a lawyer to Cairo to work on that.
As for the way to solving any problem with Egypt, the Fatah official said that achieving the Palestinian national unity would contribute to overcoming any tension in the relations with Cairo and lead to the opening of border crossings and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt slammed for blacklisting Qassam
"The Hamas Movement is an integral part of the Palestinian political fabric that we seek to achieve unity with and we reject accusing its armed wing of charges amounting to terrorism; al-Qassam is a resistance team and not a terror group," Shaath, a member of the Fatah's central committee, said in remarks to Palestine newspaper.
He pointed out that the Egyptian court verdict was a preliminary ruling and could be appealed against by the Palestinian side, calling for necessarily sending a lawyer to Cairo to work on that.
As for the way to solving any problem with Egypt, the Fatah official said that achieving the Palestinian national unity would contribute to overcoming any tension in the relations with Cairo and lead to the opening of border crossings and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt slammed for blacklisting Qassam
Member of Hamas's political bureau Mahmoud al-Zahhar said there would be no talk about a new prisoner swap deal before the Israeli occupation respected its last swap agreement, which had been sponsored by Arab and international parties.
Zahhar made his remarks in a political symposium on Wednesday held under the theme "The regional changes and their impacts on the Palestinian cause."
"We are not in a hurry and we do not sell the prisoner file at any price. We are still committed to our pledge to liberate our heroic prisoners from the occupation's jails," the Hamas official stated.
He stressed that the Israeli occupation violated what had been agreed upon in the last swap deal, Wafa al-Ahrar, which was brokered by Irish, British and Arab officials, so the Palestinian resistance would not take any step towards a new deal before the occupation fulfilled its commitments under the first one.
Zahhar also slammed the recent Egyptian court ruling on al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, affirming that his Movement does not interfere in any way in the internal affairs of other countries.
"We fight for the liberation of our land and country and save our humanity from the oppression of the Zionist occupation," he said.
He also talked about the Egyptian media lies against the Movement, asserting that the Egyptian intelligence itself knows that Hamas is innocent of all accusations made by the local media.
"Do not get us into vortexes which are not of our business. Our bullets only target the Zionist occupation," Zahhar underlined.
Zahhar made his remarks in a political symposium on Wednesday held under the theme "The regional changes and their impacts on the Palestinian cause."
"We are not in a hurry and we do not sell the prisoner file at any price. We are still committed to our pledge to liberate our heroic prisoners from the occupation's jails," the Hamas official stated.
He stressed that the Israeli occupation violated what had been agreed upon in the last swap deal, Wafa al-Ahrar, which was brokered by Irish, British and Arab officials, so the Palestinian resistance would not take any step towards a new deal before the occupation fulfilled its commitments under the first one.
Zahhar also slammed the recent Egyptian court ruling on al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, affirming that his Movement does not interfere in any way in the internal affairs of other countries.
"We fight for the liberation of our land and country and save our humanity from the oppression of the Zionist occupation," he said.
He also talked about the Egyptian media lies against the Movement, asserting that the Egyptian intelligence itself knows that Hamas is innocent of all accusations made by the local media.
"Do not get us into vortexes which are not of our business. Our bullets only target the Zionist occupation," Zahhar underlined.
